West Hartford Woman Charged With Assaulting Mother Will Have Court Trial

KELLY GLISTA,Kglista@courant.com

HARTFORD — A lawyer for a West Hartford woman accused of trying to kill her 70-year-old mother in February told a judge Tuesday that he plans to argue at trial that the woman is not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

Gail Litsky, 47, is facing numerous charges, including attempted murder, first-degree assault on a person older than 60 and cruelty to persons.

Judge Joan Alexander set Litsky's next court appearance for Oct. 21. Litsky's case will be heard before a judge rather than having a jury trial.

Litsky allegedly attacked her mother for three hours late Feb. 8 into early Feb. 9. Det. Sgt. Eric Rocheleau described the assault as "torture."

The assault — repeated beatings, cuts with a dull kitchen knife, a burn with a cigarette lighter, attempted electrocution and attempted strangulation with a necklace as the 4-foot-11-inch, 90-pound Litsky sat on her mother — ended only after Litsky's 19-year-old daughter, who was staying with Litsky's mother, called police, according to police.

West Hartford officers found the victim on the floor, trying to defend herself with a picture frame, police said. They took Litsky into custody and began providing medical aid to her mother.

Litsky told police she repeatedly sought mental health treatment because she was afraid she was going to hurt someone, according to an arrest warrant.